Bacon Wrapped Chicken

It's Bar-B-Que time!

For each serving:

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed of fat and gristle
2 slices thick bacon
Old Bay seasoning
1 slice Muenster cheese

Sprinkle each chicken breast with Old Bay seasoning. Wrap 2 slices of thick bacon around the chicken and secure with toothpicks. Grill until the chicken is no longer pink inside. Place sliced cheese on chicken and allow to melt.

Using thick sliced bacon keeps it from burning (quite so much :)

Whole Grain Breakfast Porridge

This is a yummy, healthy breakfast that you can adjust according to your tastes. I used dried cranberries and dried blueberries, and then I served it topped with maple syrup and chopped pecans. I loved the pecans in it. Yum! Amelia had milk and honey on hers. I'm sure you'll be shocked to hear that the boys wouldn't try it. : )
The original recipe said to cook it in a rice cooker, which I don't have, so I just tried it on the stove top. But I've included both sets of directions, in case you want to try the rice cooker method.

Whole Grain Breakfast Porridge

1/2 C. red or wild rice
1/2 C. steel cut oats
1/4 C. barley or farro
1/2 C. farina or wheat cereal (like plain Cream of Wheat)
1 2-inch piece of orange peel
1 cinnamon stick
1-2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 C. dried fruit
5 C. water
chopped nuts, maple syrup, milk and/or honey for serving, optional

Stovetop:
Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil, stir, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook at a low simmer for 1 hour. There will still be liquid at the top of the pan when done. Stir, and spoon into individual serving bowls. Add desired toppings and enjoy!

Rice Cooker:
Up to 12 hours before serving, put rice, oats, farro, farina in a 6-10 cup rice cooker. Stir in the orange peel, cinnamon stick, sugar, salt and water. Add dried fruit. Stir to combine.
Close cooker, set timer and program for the porridge cycle so that the breakfast is ready at desired time. (If you don't have a porridge setting, program for 50-55 minutes.)
Serve warm with desired toppings.

Slightly adapted from the foodnetwork.com

Lo Mein Stir-Fry

We really liked this recipe. The original called for some different veggies, but I liked the mix that we used. You could use whatever veggies you like though.

Lo Mein Stir-Fry
Altered from recipe by Our Best Bites

Ingredients:
1 12-oz. package linguine (whole wheat or regular)
1-2 tablespoons canola or peanut oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
½ tablespoon Sriracha chili sauce
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1 pkg mushrooms, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
½ red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 cup fresh or frozen green sugar snap peas

Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When it is boiling, add the noodles and cook al dente.
Whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, sriracha chili sauce, and dark sesame oil. Set aside.
While the noodles are cooking, heat a large skillet over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the red pepper and cook until almost done. Add the peas, garlic, and mushrooms and stir fry until tender. Add the noodles and stir fry until the noodles are well-combined with the vegetables. Give the sauce a quick whisk and then drizzle it evenly over the noodles and stir fry the entire mixture for about 30-60 seconds or until everything is well-coated in the sauce. Serve immediately.

Buttery Cinnabun Cake

Mmmm....we had these for breakfast this morning. Deeeelish! For some reason all of my filling sunk to the bottom of the pan, but it was still ooey gooey goodness.





Buttery Cinnabun Cake

3 Cups flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 Cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ Cups milk
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 Stick real butter, melted

2 sticks real butter, softened
1 Cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons flour
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
2/3 Cups nuts, optional

2 Cups powdered sugar
5 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. In an electric or stand mixer mix the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, milk, eggs and vanilla. Once combined well, slowly stir in melted butter. Pour batter into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
2.In a large bowl, mix the 2 sticks of softened butter, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and nuts until well combined. Drop evenly over cake batter by the tablespoonfuls and use a knife to marble/swirl through the cake.
3.Bake for 30-40 minutes or until toothpick comes out nearly clean from center.
4.Place powdered sugar, milk and vanilla in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth. Drizzle over warm cake.Serve warm or at room temperature.Enjoy!

picture and recipe from picky-palate.com